If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Update to Bee Beard Log Hive

When I saw one of the long time beekeepers in town back in October, he told me to expect 50% losses. Yikes! I only have two hives...which one will it be? I'm feeding the Warre hive, but trying to go as natural as possible on the log hive. With that in mind and some of the warnings from some very respectable beekeepers about 'going natural,' I'm happy to say both the Warre hive and the log hive have come through December intact, with the latter still the stronger hive.
I shot some video early in the month with my old camera (5x zoom lens), and today with my new 50x zoom camera to show the activity of both hives.

Re: Update to Bee Beard Log Hive

That is one cool hive, now you got me thinking.Are you able to work the hive? There is a guy down the road and he turns logs into just about anything you can dream up. I would love to add a hive like that to my collection.

Re: Update to Bee Beard Log Hive

That 50X zoom is just showin off. I so wish I woudl see my bees flying. it has been 17 days since they had a day warm enough. By the way did you know you have an old man standing in your back yard? By the look on his face he saw sometin he shouldn't have.
Nice creative hive.

Re: Update to Bee Beard Log Hive

Originally Posted by Daniel Y

That 50X zoom is just showin off. I so wish I woudl see my bees flying. it has been 17 days since they had a day warm enough. By the way did you know you have an old man standing in your back yard? By the look on his face he saw sometin he shouldn't have.
Nice creative hive.

You're absolutely right on the 50x. I couldn't wait to try it out, but had to wait for a sunny day. I still have to try out the macro feature with the bees. The camera will actually focus on something touching the lens, but I'd like to try it on something moving around...like bees on a flower. I think I'll have to wait awhile though.
Thanks for your comment.

Re: Update to Bee Beard Log Hive

Originally Posted by DC Bees

That is one cool hive, now you got me thinking.Are you able to work the hive? There is a guy down the road and he turns logs into just about anything you can dream up. I would love to add a hive like that to my collection.

I designed it for using top bars under a quilt box, like a Warre, but after the bees moved in and built their natural comb, I didn't want to pull the bars out for fear I'd tear up the combs. You can kind of see the inside of it here...http://solarbeez.com/2012/04/19/occupiers-wanted/
This is somewhat of an experiment. When I first started getting interested in beekeeping, I wanted to try a "completely hands-off natural" method. What better place to have a bee hive than a log or the trunk of a tree? When I joined the bee club, one of the old-time beekeepers had already built a log hive, and that's what inspired me. This is Hal talking about his log hive...http://solarbeez.com/2012/05/15/hal-...-his-log-hive/
I'm not going to take any honey out of it. My coastal area probably won't get hot enough anyway. If I get through the winter and it throws a swarm, I'll call it a success. I hope to have bigger log hive ready by then.